So that you can safely get into the topic of the school system in the USA, you will find some general information about everyday American school life here. On the whole, the school system in the USA is not very different from our school life in Germany. Most of the differences are in the organisation, the choice of courses and the evaluation of tests and tests.
Definition school system
A school system consists of Total of all educational institutions in a country. The school system includes all possible school types as well as various rules for everyday school life and the legal framework for schools.
The school system in the USA includes, as in Germany, a compulsory education. In Germany, a child must have attended school for at least 9 years before he/she is allowed to leave school. In America you have to at least up to the age of 16 stay in school. Just like in Germany, education in the USA is a matter for the federal states. This means that each state is free to decide how it regulates its own education.
The school years
In the US school system, a school year also consists of two half-years, which are called «semester» or «term» there. They usually go from August to December and from January to June, as the summers in many states in the USA are very warm. The students are always released very early for the summer holidays. The holidays are on average a bit longer than here in Germany: They usually last around 8 weeks.
The entire school career in the USA takes 12 years claim. In Germany, this corresponds to a high school diploma. Comparing high school and high school isn’t that easy. It is much easier to do well in high school at most state schools in the USA than to get a good Abitur in Germany.
everyday school life
Normal everyday school life in American schools is quite similar to that in German schools. The day begins with all the students having to be taken to school. In Germany there is public transport, which most students can use to get to school without any problems. Since the US is much bigger, there are school buses there. These drive through a certain area and pick up the children at different stops.
School starts at 8am in most schools and ends at 3 or 4pm. In most schools, the school day consists of six lessons, each of which lasts one hour in the US school system. The students have the same lesson every day and not just weekly like in Germany.
If the students have free periods in between, they can study on the school premises or play outside. After school, the students are picked up by their school buses and driven back to their bus stops.
School system USA – school types, classes and subjects
In the USA, the various school types are regulated somewhat differently than in Germany. Here you will find the most important information about the school types and classes.
Kindergarten and preschool – preschool
Children, the under 5 years old and cannot be looked after by their parents all day have the opportunity to go to preschool in the USA. That’s about the same as ours kindergarten and our preschool. There the children can paint, do handicrafts and possibly get to know their first letters and begin to write their first sentences.
Primary School – Elementary School
In the US school system, children aged 5-7 years go to elementary school, where they learn to read, do arithmetic and write. The first year is called «kindergarten». So it’s not the same as the German kindergarten.
This type of school is similar to our German elementary school. This goes here however only four years while in America up to the 4th or 6th school year (depending on school district and state). In this way, the children can stay longer in their class group and the familiar school.
Transition/Intermediate – Middle School/Junior High School
In the US school system, it works Middle school from 6th to 8th grade and thus roughly includes our transition level or intermediate level. However, not every school district has a middle school.
Sometimes the students go to elementary school longer and then come to the junior high schoolthat of the 7th to 8th grade goes. The difference between middle school and junior high school is that middle school places more emphasis on teamwork and social skills, while junior high school places more emphasis on achievement and knowledge.
Secondary School – High School
Unlike in Germany, there is in the school system in the USA no distinction between comprehensive school, junior high school or grammar school. All students go to the same school until they graduate. Thus, a high school can be roughly compared to a German comprehensive school.
Class structure and course selection
Students are referred to as follows in the different years of high school:
- 9th grade: Freshmen
- 10th grade: Sophomores
- 11th grade: juniors
- 12th grade: seniors
The difference in performance between the students is compensated for by courses with different levels of difficulty. A test is usually taken at the beginning of the school year (usually only for English and math) in which the level of knowledge of the students is assessed.
For example, if a 9th grader is good at math, he or she can take an advanced course intended for 11th graders.
At the end of high school, you have to have passed a certain number of courses and thus collected a certain number of credit points. There are different numbers of credit points for each course that is passed, depending on the level of difficulty of the course. That’s the only way to graduate from high school.
Subjects offered and subject selection
Pupils can not only choose the level of difficulty, but also the subjects. Because in the US school system, the subject-selection system does not start in the 11th grade, as it does here, but in the 9th grade.
The compulsory and elective subjects you can choose from include:
Compulsory subjectsElectives
- English
- maths
- history
- (social studies)
- (Geography)
- Sports
- Art / Photography
- Biology / Chemistry / Physics
- psychology
- journalism
- Foreign languages like Spanish or French
Also after school there are many activities that can be carried out by the students. Afternoon activities, such as sports, cooking or chess clubs, are part of everyday school life in the USA and are very popular.
If you want to know more about leisure activities and popular sports in the USA, have a look at our article «USA Sports».
College and University – College and University
After high school, the students can then apply to universities or colleges, which is similar to how it works here in Germany. Here in Germany, the Abitur grade or a completed apprenticeship counts towards the application. In the US school system, you need a good high school diploma. Count here GPA points and the results of SAT tests.
GPA points are comparable to the Abitur average in Germany. A 1.0 would correspond to a 4.0 GPA; a 2.0 then a GPA of 2.9 – 3.2. The SAT test is taken in junior year of high school. Subject-specific knowledge in math and English as well as general reading and writing are assessed. If you have a good SAT score, you have a better chance of being accepted by many universities.
The difference between colleges and universities is comparable to the difference between colleges and universities in Germany. Colleges tend to focus on one area of education (e.g. technology, science, journalism), while a university covers all possible disciplines in one institution. A bachelor’s degree in the USA usually lasts four years and can be obtained either at a college or at a university.
If you are interested in the differences and similarities between the education systems in English-speaking countries, click through to our article «Education System UK».
School system USA compared to Germany
There are many striking differences between the German school system and the school system in the USA, which are very important for the education of the students. Below you will find a brief summary of the most important differences.
Order, types of schools and classes
The school system in the USA has a similar number of school types as in Germany. However, the years are slightly different. In the following table you can see the differences between the school types in the USA and those in Germany:
classes
Germany
United States
1st – 4th grade
elementary school
Grundschule
5th – 6th grade
Transitional level (in some federal states) or already secondary school
Elementary school or middle school
7th – 8th grade
Secondary school (Hauptschule, Realschule or Gymnasium)
middle school or junior high
9th – 10th grade
junior high school or high school
high school
11th – 12th grade
high school
high school
thereafter
College, university or training
College, University or Education
Class structure and course selection
Here in Germany, all students of a grade level have the same lessons and the difficulty increases equally for everyone from grade level to grade level. In the USA, students from different grade levels have lessons together and everyone can do their own learn according to level. This has various advantages and disadvantages, which you can see in the table below:
advantages
Disadvantages
- There is no separation of grade levels
- There is a better sense of community
- Students have courses that match their own abilities
- Fewer students are over- or under-challenged
- Students have more fun learning
- Weaker students cannot be pulled along by stronger students
- Unmotivated individuals remain at low levels of knowledge
- There are huge differences in knowledge between students
Subject offer and subject selection
As already mentioned, high school students can sometimes decide for themselves about their courses and subjects. The choice of electives in the American school system is much larger than in German schools. This allows the students to prepare themselves early on specialize in a particular area. However, this also has the following advantages and disadvantages:
advantages
Disadvantages
- Early specialization according to interests possible
- Enjoyment at school is greater
- Subject-specific knowledge can already be acquired before university
- More independence for the students
- Pupils take more responsibility for their own education
- Unsuitable for students who do not know in which direction they want to go later
- General education is lower because specialization starts early
Assessment of tests and class work
The assessment of tests and class work is different in the school system in the USA than in Germany. As is well known, here are the school grades…